


So You Stole My Freedom, Now You Steal My Heart Too?

by Leone_Zemson



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Definitely No Stockholm Syndrome, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Heavy Drinking, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-03 19:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12153507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leone_Zemson/pseuds/Leone_Zemson
Summary: Sans captures you for Papyrus' sake, but you both learn that there's more to each other than what it seems. And perhaps, you might like it more that you first thought.





	1. Part 1

Your body was spread out pathetically across the golden floor, after being beaten and broken down to the last morsel of life. Sans towered over you, his eyes glinting with threatening promise, then picked you up by the collar of your shirt. You closed your swollen eyelids, and waited for the finishing blow that would send you spiralling into LOADing. 

 

But instead of dying, like you were so sure Sans would want, he put you on your feet. His hands left your body, and you opened your eyes to see what was going on. Instead of readying a final blow, like you were so sure you would see, he took out a collar with a leash attached, which he clipped around your neck.

 

"As much as I'd like to kill 'ya," he began, "Boss wouldn't be too happy if I got all the glory for killin' a human. So, I'm afraid you'll be comin' with me, sweetie." You weakly pulled at the chain, but you were far too drained to even think of fighting back. One wrong move, and you could die.

 

On second thoughts, that might not be so bad. Then you would be able to LOAD and try again.

 

"Don't worry sweetheart, we'll be takin’ a shortcut," he reassured you, laughing as you continued your pathetic attempts to get away. He pulled you close, and in a flash the both of you had been transported somewhere else - some sort of jail cell. You had landed inside of the cell, which was neat and tidy, but sparse. The walls and floor were painted red, the floor being a few shades darker than the walls, with a window that was barred, a bed in the corner and chains on the walls. He pulled you over to the bed and pushed you onto it, before securing a couple of chains around your wrists. 

 

"Don't get into any trouble, 'kay?" Sans said with a deep chuckle, before snapping his fingers and disappearing. You were already asleep, however.

 

You weren't sure how long it had been when you woke up. Your nap had recovered some of your HP, but you still felt weak. It was pitch black, and you could see it was nighttime outside. You heard wolves howling, which sent fearful shivers up your spine.

 

You sat up, and noticed the chains around your wrists, and the collar and leash that was still around your neck. You unclipped the collar, and tried pulling on the chains, but they were cemented firmly into the wall. You wondered what to do - you had to get Sans to unhook you, and perhaps take you outside... and then what? You would have to goad him into killing you so you could LOAD. If that failed, you’d have to run. Either way, you couldn't stay here.

 

It wasn't long before Sans appeared with a dish of food in hand.

 

"Boss is running a bit late, but I figured you might be hungry, so I heated up some leftovers. You better enjoy it kid, 'cause it's probably the last meal you'll ever have," he said, laughing, before placing the dish in front of you. 

 

"Um... I've... got a bit of a problem," you started. Sans raised an eyeridge at this, his smile falling. You made yourself look embarrassed, to better convince him of your predicament. "I... really need the bathroom."

 

"Oh boy," he said, breathing out. "Should've figured this would've come up. Boss will kill me if you ruin the sheets." He sighed. "Listen kid, can't you hold on 'till we deliver you to the king? We don't exactly have a toilet. I mean, look at us - do you really think we need one?"

 

"I really have to go," you insisted. Sans sighed again, then went over and picked up the collar where you threw it on the ground.

 

"Fine. But keep this on, next time - I didn't put it on you for kicks," he replied. You sat as he put it back on you, then unlocked the chains. He teleported the both of you to the other side of the jail cell, then pulled you by your leash to the door. 

 

"I'll be right here. You can go far enough from me to be comfortable, but don't think about running away. I don't think you want another bad time." He then opened the door, and shoved you outside. You shivered as you stepped out into the cold and snow.

 

_ Oh god. Am I back in Snowdin? Please, no...  _

 

"I don't think you want to take too long, now," he called out, a smirk clear in his voice. You cursed, then looked around for some sort of weapon.

 

_ I would have my frying pan, but he took it away from me. If only I could find something...  _

 

You saw a rock a couple of paces in front of you. You picked it up, and it was solid and heavy in your hands. It was perfect.

 

"How much longer are you gonna be?" Sans groaned. "The cold's biting my bones." You snuck up behind him, and with all your strength, you smashed the rock straight into his skull. You didn't want to stick around for his reaction; you yanked your leash from his hands and then bolted out into the snow. You ran faster than you ever thought you could, desperate to get away from him. You sprinted straight into the woods, stumbling over branches and falling trees, looking for a good hiding place, but before you could catch sight of one, you stumbled, and crashed into the snow. You tried to scramble to your feet, but something - or rather, some _ one _ \- grabbed your leash and pulled, making you tumble backwards. You looked up and saw that Sans was towering over you, his smile gone, and his eyesockets were dark.

 

"Kid," he began, growling, "that really hurt." You weren't about to give up. You grabbed onto your leash and yanked, making Sans fall over you, and you slammed your foot into his face. He yelled, grabbed his face in shock and pain, and then you scrambled to your feet and dashed even deeper into the woods. You didn't get far, however, as your soul was pulled out of your chest and was then turned blue, slamming your body into the snow. You tried to push yourself up from the ground, but the force acting on you made it impossible for you to move a single muscle. You clenched your teeth as you heard Sans approach you, the snow crunching under his trainers sounding like how your bones might crack under his strength. You were dragged up by your collar, until you were face-to-face with Sans.

 

"Let me go," you demanded in a low, harsh tone.

 

"Not happenin'," he growled back, before he teleported the both of you back to the cell, and slammed you up against the wall. You cried out in pain, feeling the impact chip a single point from your HP.

 

"Alright kid, here's the deal," he started, "you're gonna stay here and be a good little human, or I'm gonna cut you up into little bits of confetti and make the king piece your soul back together. Got it?" He slammed you against the wall again, and you yelled out in pain and fear again. You opened your eyes, gritting your teeth and staring deep into Sans' bottomless, pitiless eyesockets.

 

"Go to hell, you bastard," you seethed. He dropped you on the floor and stepped back, his teeth grinding as he battled with his self control. Suddenly, his eye alighted with red magic, and he took ahold of your soul again, lifted you up, and dropped you on the bed. The plate of food that had been left on there bounced off the bed and landed on the floor, smashing and making a huge mess. He then went over and hooked your wrists back onto the chains on the wall. You tried kicking him again, but he just caught your foot, his tight grip a warning. You ignored it, and managed to kick him in the side with your other foot.

 

"LET ME GO!" you shouted. His hand shot to your throat, clamping down and cutting off your breathing. You gripped his wrist with your hand, and tried to pull it away, but he wouldn't budge. You panicked, but that just depleted your oxygen and pushed you onto the verge of unconsciousness quicker. Just when spots had appeared in your vision, he let go of your neck. You took in a huge gasp of breath, relishing in the air that could refill your oxygen supply, as Sans grinned.

 

"Well sweetie, looks like Boss's home. And I'm feeling merciful today; I think I'll spare you for a night," he said, before disappearing in a flash of magic. You cursed, then took a few more deep breaths to try and calm yourself down. 

 

The wait was agonising. You tried pulling yourself free from your chains, but only ended up bruising your wrists. You tried to force yourself to LOAD your SAVE FILE, but that would only be unlocked if you died. You were trapped. 

 

"Goddammit!" you shouted, frustrated. You laid back on the bed, covering your face with your hands, and sighing deeply. You were at Sans' mercy. You would have to wait.

 

It had felt like a long time after Sans had left by the time he finally reappeared. He was carrying another plate of food in his hands. You raised your eyebrow at this, glancing at the mess that was still on the floor, before he dumped it in front of you. 

 

"Freshly cooked by Papyrus. I snuck this out for you," he said, before dumping it in front of you. You eyed it cautiously, before the meaning of his words struck you.

 

"You snuck it out for me? Why? I thought you were going to tell Papyrus I was here," you asked, a little defensively.

 

"I was. But didn't you hear me earlier? I said I was gonna spare you for a night, didn't I?"

 

"Why?"

 

"I like you. You've got some spunk, some fight in 'ya." You stared at him in disbelief. You could hardly believe his words, especially considering how angry you made him when you hit him. "Hurry up and eat. I didn't bring the food for it to sit around and look pretty." You looked at the food, slightly suspicious. "It aint biting. We did kill the meat before cooking it." You decided to eat it. You were hungry, and besides, it did look delicious. A stew with chunky, tender pieces of beef and vegetables cooked to just the right softness, and a sauce that smelled tantalising. You took a bite of the meat, and it was so tender that it almost melted in your mouth. You began eating in earnest, shovelling huge spoonfuls into your mouth at a time which made your cheeks bulge comically. When you'd finished the entire bowl, you looked up to see Sans staring at you, lost in thought. When he realised you were finished, he did something you could never see coming - he reached out and pinched your cheeks.

 

You blinked.

 

"You humans are so soft," he commented, rolling the flesh in his fingertips. "Even softer than some of the other, fleshier monsters I've been with." He dragged his fingertips down your face, over your neck and over the bruises he formed when he choked you earlier, and - instead of over your chest and bosoms, which you half-expected him to, over your shoulders and down your arms. "I don't get it. Here, the rule is kill or be killed, and we learnt that from you humans. So how come you're so damn nice?"

 

"It's the right thing to do," you answered back, puzzled by what he said. He pulled his hands back suddenly, like you'd burnt him, or, possibly more accurately, like he hadn't expected you to speak. He took your bowl, and then teleported out. You briefly wondered if he was coming back, but after a few minutes you decided not to worry about it, and decided to get some sleep. 

 

The next morning, you woken up by the smell of something delicious, and you sat up in bed with a smile, until you saw who brought the plate of something delicious. Sans. Again. 

 

"Mornin' sunshine," he greeted gruffly, before handing you the plate. It was a full English breakfast (though you doubted that's what they called it down here,) with bacon, sausages, fried eggs, toast, and cooked mushrooms and tomatoes. You took it silently, and began eating it.

 

"What are you going to do with me?" you asked in between mouthfuls.

 

"Keep you here, I guess. 'til I get bored of you, anyway," he answered.

 

"And after that?" 

 

"Take you to the king. Sorry if I'm crushing any hope you had of getting home." You took a few minutes to digest what he said, mulling it over and turning it in your head as you ate, before you formulated your reply.

 

"If what I've heard is right, then only one more human soul is needed to break the barrier. One human soul that I happen to have. Why aren't you just sending me straight to the king? Don't you want to go to the surface, like all the other monsters?" You were trying to spur him on. You hoped that, when pushed enough, he would take you to the king to be killed, so you could finally LOAD again. 

 

"I don't really care all that much about getting to the surface. I mean, if we all get to the surface, you'll just RESET and take that away from us, won't you?" You flinched harshly, as if he had punched you in the face (not that that was hard to imagine.)

 

"Why would I do that?" you said fiercely. "And how do you know that I can RESET?"

 

"Wasn't that hard to see you were seeing the same old characters and listening to the same old dialogue again and again. I've seen reports of the timeline jumping back and forth, left and right, and when I realised you had seen it all already, I made the connection. You'd been messing around with the timeline. Probably seen things unfold down here a hundred times."

 

"That's not true! I... I really want to escape. I've RESET a few times, but I've never gotten out of here before. This was the first time I actually fought you."

 

"Heh, I can believe that. You were pretty pathetic.” He paused for a moment. "If we're still here, you haven't used your power to go back yet. I mean, why not? Why wait around? So I was thinking, you don't have full control of it, do you? You can only go back if you... die, maybe?" You could only look at him, surprise written clearly on your face. "Heh. Guess I got it right, then."

 

"I never knew you were so smart." He laughed, which was somewhat like a bark yet was still easy on your ears. 

 

"Well, either way, we have a problem. I take you to the king, you die, you go back in time. So, there's not much point there, is there? And I can't let you wander around, otherwise you’ll keep dying and time won't ever start moving forward like it should."

 

"I'll find a way to free everyone."

 

"That's only possible if you give up your soul." He sighed. "Guess I'll just keep you here. You'll be safe and sound, and I certainly won't let Boss poke around here." You gave him a look which told him you'd rather be anywhere but here. "Don't look at me like that, sweetheart, I can be great company. I have great puns, and Boss has great food. It aint bad."

 

"Why are you being so nice to me?" It really was confusing. He really didn't seem like the type of guy to take care of things, and before now he had regarded you with disdain, as you went around trying to befriend everyone in the Underground.

 

"I already told 'ya. I like you. Besides..." He grinned. "I've always wanted a pet." Your expression fell. You were not going to have a good time.

 

In the following weeks, Sans took surprisingly good care of you, and the both of you fell into a routine that became quite comfortable. You were on edge for the first few days, poking and prodding and hoping that Sans might slip up and get you killed, but when you realised that it wasn't going to happen, you decided to relax. It wasn't so bad, anyway. He fed you, brought you some books and magazines, even installed a toilet, and wasn't so bad to talk to. He asked a lot of questions about the surface, about what humans were like, and even about your life before you fell. He was extremely curious, and was truly trying to understand your pacifism. In return, you asked questions about monsters and about his own life, and he told you about his life as a scientist before coming to Snowdin to raise Papyrus. He became a whole different person when he explained all sorts of science-y stuff, often trailing off into an excited rant about topics you could barely comprehend and using terms that left you completely bewildered. It was actually rather endearing. 

 

You often got into that line of thought… you had been curious about him beforehand, and now that you knew him better, you had to say you were quite charmed. You were beginning to like him perhaps a bit more than you should, even though you had more than a few reasons not to. 

 

But nobody could ever control their heart, could they?

 

One day was different. You were quietly reading a book, waiting for dinner to be brought to you, when Sans teleported in and, instead of holding food, held bottles of various types of alcohol. You raised an eyebrow.

 

"Rough day?" you asked.

 

"You've no idea," he grunted back. "Wanna get wasted?" Ah, guess he didn't want to talk about it.

 

"I've never done alcohol before."

 

"Well, now you're gonna." He dumped the bottles on the foot of your bed, then sat down. He opened one and offered it to you. You took it, slightly wary, then took a sip of it. It was good. You looked and saw it was labelled Spider Cider. 

 

"Alright."

 

"Spider Cider's one of the best around, next to Grillby's hard cider. Great for warming yourself up before you get smashed." He raised a bottle up. "Cheers." You clanked your bottles. 

 

It wasn't long until you began to feel a bit drunk. And you were getting a bit too loose-lipped for your liking. Sans drank twice as much and seemed extremely out of it. Some questions you wanted to ask but hadn't had the courage to yet were working their way up to the tip of your tongue, primed and begging to be asked. A couple more drinks and they finally let loose.

 

"So, Sans," you slurred, "if you're a skeleton, how do you fuck?" He was caught totally off-guard with your question, the slight blush on his face from the alcohol intensifying tenfold.

 

"Well,” he slurred, “there’s magic. It’s pretty good.” 

 

“Magic seems to be able to do anything,” you mused. Your head felt fuzzy, but you felt like you could talk the night away. “You can heal, make food, float stuff, destroy stuff - basically anything. I know it was humans who made the barrier, and that was magic, so how come we don’t even believe magic is a real thing? I wish I could use magic. I could lift the tv remote up with magic if I’m too comfortable on the couch, or kick some perv’s butt!”

 

“Ya talk way too much,” Sans said, amused. 

 

“Do I? Maybe it’s the alcohol. Who am I kidding, of course it’s the alcohol. Kinda funny, I talk a lot when I’m hyper on sugar. But hey, you’re nice to talk to. Do you like talking to me?” You drew out the last word, and leant into Sans, your face half burrowing in his shoulder. 

 

“Maybe ya’ve had too much,” Sans mumbled. 

 

“You smell weird!” you giggled. 

 

“Yeah, you need to stop,” he said resolutely - or at least, as resolutely as his drunken state let him - reaching for the bottle of hard cider in your hands. 

 

"But I like it!" you whined, hugging the bottle close. "Bottle-chan and I are best friends. Aren't we, bottle-chan?" 

 

"Bottle-chan? Issit a human thing?" he hiccuped, before shaking his head. "Not the point. Come on, give me the bottle!" He reached and grabbed the bottle, after missing it a couple of times. You whined again, holding it tight to your chest. After a struggle, he managed to wrestle it a few inches away from you, before the bottle tipped and the contents were poured all over your shirt.

 

"Sans! Why'd'ya do that?" you pouted. "What a waste." You pulled at your white shirt, trying to get the sticky cloth off of your chest, before noticing that it was now almost completely see-through. You looked up and saw that Sans was completely still, staring at you. You blushed slightly, but couldn’t help but stare back. He leant towards you, and he kissed you chastely. You returned the kiss eagerly, wrapping a hand gently around the back of his neck. When you pulled apart, Sans looked very happy. 

 

“I’ve wanted to do that fer a while,” he said. 

 

“Me too,” you replied in a voice just above a whisper. He leant towards you, but instead of kissing you again like you thought he would, his head dropped and slumped on your chest. You were about to complain, and convince him to just kiss you again, but a light snore coming from him notified you that he’d fallen asleep. You giggled, feeling giddy. He kissed you. He liked you! But you still weren’t sure if you truly liked him or if there was some sort of stockholm syndrome kicking in. You stroked his skull, feeling conflicted as to whether or not you wanted him to remember the kiss. He was pretty drunk, so it was likely. As thoughts span around your head, your eyelids slowly closed, and a short while later you dived into sleep. 

 

The next morning, you awoke to a throbbing skull and feeling just a bit more than under the weather. You sat up, slowly, and took in the number of stray bottles rolling around on the floor. You then noticed a lump lying across your chest, and when you focused your eyes you saw it was Sans, snoozing peacefully on top of you. You panicked, before realising you could remember everything from the night before - including how it ended, with Sans kissing you and then falling asleep. You blushed. You looked at your shirt, which was crusty with the dried hard cider that you'd spilt the night before. You reeked of alcohol. On further inspection with your nose, you found that you stank all over, of various stinks; sweat, dirt, a couple of food stains here and there - it actually made you feel extremely nauseous.

 

Or, that could just be because you had alcohol - for the first time in your life - on an empty stomach. 

 

"Ugh," you mumbled. Last night was fun all right, including the kiss - even though you said some pretty stupid things - but you certainly did not think of what would happen the morning after. 

 

You seriously needed some food, water and a shower - and possibly a painkiller as well. It wasn't the worst migraine you'd ever had, but the pounding in your head wasn't pleasant either way. You could deal with Sans later, if he even remembered...

 

"Sans!" you heard from outside the door, accompanied by vicious knocking. "I know you're in there! I can smell the alcohol from out here!" It was Papyrus. You panicked, shaking Sans violently.

 

"Wake up," you whispered harshly. He mumbled, but he didn't move. 

 

"Sans!" Papyrus shouted again. "I'm going to break down this door if you don't answer me!" Considering that it didn't look as if Sans was going to be waking up anytime soon, you decided your best course of action would be to hide. Sans had long started trusting you not to run away, so your chains were no longer an issue, but the issue was the lack of hiding spaces in your room. Perhaps you could climb out the window and hide behind the shed? That sounded like way too much effort for someone who just woke up for a headache, even though it would save you having to face Papyrus. Under the covers? Nope, not good enough. Perhaps... you looked over the edge of the bed and saw that there was a space under it. Perfect! You quickly scrambled off the bed and rolled under it, just in time for the door to land squarely on the floor.

 

"Sans, it's time for you to stop hiding and for us to settle our differences!" he said. Ah, so that was what got him so miserable last night - a fight with his brother. There was a pause. "God, it absolutely reeks of alcohol." He approached the side of the bed, and bent down to pick some of the bottles up. You pressed yourself to the far corner, hoping the darkness would hide you. "You must have drunk yourself nearly to death last night, these are enough empty bottles for two people!" You winced. You hoped he didn't realise that there were actually two people drinking here last night. 

 

Papyrus continued attempting to wake Sans up, which ended with you hearing a loud bang, and Sans finally waking up with a pained groan.

 

“Paps, whazzit to you?” Sans mumbled almost incoherently.

 

“It’s time you stopped moping around. We need to end our feud from yesterday now before it gets any worse!” Sans sighed, and you heard the bed creak as he sat up.

 

“Since when did you care how things were between us, anyway? I thought that I was just the stupid, useless brother who was a good-for-nothing level 1 slacker who wouldn’t give up on his nap even if the entire Underground was falling in pieces around him?” Ouch, that certainly was an insult and a half.

 

“I realise that it would be… hurtful… but you have to know I didn’t mean it-”

 

“Of course you did. You meant every word, especially when you said to me afterwards that I was so worthless as a monster even the dogs aren’t interested on munching on my bones.”

 

“I… well…”

 

“And that the only thing I’d ever done right was to raise you to be so great and terrible, even though you would have been better off if I’d just left you on somebody’s doorstep and then dusted myself?”

 

“...I… I’m sorry Sans. I was upset, especially when I found out that you got fired for slacking off - not that that’s any surprise, but I keep screaming at you to at least keep your job!” You heard the frustration in his voice, and couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. “You’ve been so distracted lately, and have been even tardier than usual.” You wondered if you had anything to do with that. “Are you on drugs?”

 

“What? No! I just… I...” There was a pause.

 

“...what happened to you, Sans? You used to be so smart, and one of the most feared monsters around, but now you’re just a lazybones turning into a complete degenerate!”

 

“Papyrus…”

 

“It… really hurts me to see you like this, brother, and I can’t understand.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“You know I’m here, right? I… haven’t been the greatest brother to you in quite a few years, but maybe I could change that.”

 

“Maybe... I could do the same.” Your heart melted a little to see this exchange between the two seemingly emotionally cold brothers. From where you were, you could see the two brothers moving closer together, so you guessed they were hugging.

 

“Just, one question, brother…” Papyrus started.

 

“Yeah, bro?”

 

“Was that toilet always there?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

“I just can’t remember ever installing one there.”

 

“You’re a busy monster. I doubt you can remember every single thing you’ve ever done in your life.”

 

“Nya ha ha, that is true.”

 

“I better clean this place up. And get a few dozen painkillers - my skull is killing me.”

 

“That’s what you get for abusing substances that are toxic to us monsters.”

 

“Heh, yeah.”

 

“I shall go and prepare breakfast.”

 

“Alright. See you in a few.” As soon as you heard Papyrus leave, you rolled out of your hiding place.

 

“That was so adorable,” you said excitedly, grinning.

 

“No it wasn’t!” Sans shouted with a jump, a light blush decorating his face.

 

“Heh. Well, either way, it’s great that there is someone who’s looking out for you. Someone who really cares about you.” You struggled to your feet, the movement making your brain pound with newly refreshed vigour. “Ow,” you groaned, holding your head. 

 

“Oh right, I gave you some drinks as well, didn’t I?” Sans asked. You nodded, looking at him for any sign that he remembered the kiss. “I’ll grab some painkillers in a minute, but I need to clean this mess up first.” He didn’t seem to recall it. You felt… disappointed. 

 

“Alright. I’ll help you,” you replied after a moment. Sans disappeared and reappeared with a bin bag, and you collected the empty bottles, and then stripped the bed when you realised that it was filthy. 

 

“I’ll only be able to bring you some meds after breakfast. Papyrus and I have to go to work, but you can shower. I… guess I trust you enough to not run off.” Sans rubbed the back of his head. “Please… don’t… ruin this…”

 

“I won’t,” you said determinedly, “I promise.”

 

“Heh. I actually kind of believe you.” You smiled. 

 

Sans left and came not too long later with breakfast, water and pills. You downed the whole lot pretty quickly. After your headache subsided, you made your way out of the shed, which Sans left unlocked, and snuck round into the house without being seen. 

 

Their house was small, but was cosy and tidy. It was sparsely decorated, which was pretty much what you expected. You went upstairs and found the bathroom, which you entered, and locked the door behind you. The whiteness of the tiles and walls made your eyes hurt. As expected, there was only a shower, a bathtub, and a basin with toothbrushes. It was so normal. 

 

You peeled off your dirty clothes - you really wished you’d had another set - and dumped them on the floor, before entering the shower and turning the water on. It was freezing cold but it quickly warmed up. You stood there, enjoying the feel of warm water sliding off your body, washing away all the dirt and grime. You’d really missed this. You grabbed a bottle of soap and used perhaps way too much all over your body and hair, hoping to scrub even next week’s dirt off. You stood in the shower until the water turned cold, then switched the shower off and found a towel under the sink to wrap your body with. You looked at your clothes on the floor and decided that you really did not want to put those dirty, stinky clothes back on your clean body. You’d have to wash them. You tied the towel tightly around your body, picked up your clothes and bundled them under your arm, then made your way out of the bathroom. 

 

You went downstairs and found the kitchen, which had a washing machine. You put your clothes in it and added some washing powder you found, and turned it on. You stood back, and wondered what to do while you waited for your clothes. You remembered seeing a TV in the living room, and decided to see if there was anything good on. You walked in there and dropped onto the couch, and turned the TV on to find a show by Mettaton. You remembered him from other timelines - he’d scared the shit out of you, like everyone else, but once you saw how insecure he actually was and how Alphys abused him, your heart went out to him. Also, you had to admit he was a pretty good actor.

 

The show was some sort of romance about Mettaton falling in love with someone who committed high treason, and was being taken away to the king. You settled into it, thinking it wasn’t half bad. When it finished, you checked on your clothes and found the washing cycle was finished, but looking around you couldn’t find a tumble dryer anywhere. Instead, you found a small alcove that had a line dangling from the top. You sighed, found some pegs and pegged your clothes up. It would be a long day.

 

You sat down and watched another few movies, but after that finished you began to get restless. You weren’t sure who would be home first, and your clothes were still fairly damp. You pondered on what to do, before deciding that the best course of action was to borrow some of Sans’ clothes and retreat back to your shed, leaving your own clothes where they were. You hoped he wouldn’t mind.

 

You headed back upstairs and entered the first room, which on further inspection made you realise was Papyrus’ room. It was much more childish than you thought it would be, with a race car bed, action figures on the table, and a pirate flag taped to the wall. After a good giggle, you left the room and proceeded down to the other room which you had yet explored, which you assumed was Sans’ room. You opened the door and was met with what was easily considered a complete mess. There were leftover ketchup and alcohol bottles scattered all over the place, and clothes dumped in every corner, and - somehow - a self-sustaining tornado of trash in the corner. The bed looked disgusting, there were food stains everywhere, and it stank really bad. How on earth could he live here? 

 

You went over to the chest of drawers and prayed that there were clean clothes to be found, and opened them. You breathed out a sigh of relief as you saw some t-shirts and shorts messily folded up, which smelt like washing powder. You took off the towel and pulled on the first t-shirt and pair of shorts you could grab. You’d freeze, but you could just hide under the duvet in your room to keep warm until you got your normal clothes back. You turned around, the towel bundled in your arms, and felt an overpowering urge to clean Sans’ room. It really was filthy, and was scores worse than what your bedroom used to be when you were a teenager. You really couldn’t understand how he could live in this room. 

 

You retreated quickly and went downstairs, putting the towel on top of the washing machine before you left, then dashed through the snow back to the shed. You wrapped yourself in the stripped duvet, willing you body heat to warm it up quickly. It complied, and the warmth made you quite sleepy. You decided you wouldn’t mind a nap at all. 

 

You woke up to Sans calling your name. You opened your eyes and saw that he was carrying your clothes. 

 

“Thanks for making a mess I had to clean up,” he said, though he didn’t seem all that upset. “Papyrus came home first and found your clothes. I covered for you saying that I had a lady friend over last night.”

 

“That’s not entirely untrue,” you replied sleepily, sitting up. Noticing what you were wearing, a light blush spread across Sans’ face. 

 

“Uh..: are,.. those my clothes, sweetheart?” 

 

“Yeah. My clothes were still wet by the time I decided I should leave your house, so I borrowed yours.” You smirked. The opportunity to tease him was too good to deny. “You don’t mind, do you dear?” You made your voice very sweet. Sans’ face burst out in a furious blush, making you laugh out loud. Realising you ploy, his expression changed into one that was determined. 

 

“Normally you’d have to be my lover to borrow my clothes, but since you look so good in them, I’ll make an exception.” He winked, chucking your clothes on the bed, then turned around. With a snap of his fingers, he was gone. 

 

You were blushing like mad. 

 

You really, really liked him. 

 

And you weren’t too sure how to feel about that. 

 


	2. Part 2

Sans wasn’t entirely sure when it started, but he sure as hell knew that it hasn’t ended. He had a huge crush. And on you, a human with time-warping powers, of all people! He hadn’t felt this giddy over a crush before since middle school, and it had also been a while since his ‘mini-Sans’ began to start waking up with a spring in its step. 

 

And the worst part was, the night you two got drunk together, his memory completely blacked out half way through! He had no idea if he said or did something stupid, which he felt he did, since you had started seeing him… differently since that night. He wasn’t entirely sure of the word to put on the look you’d been giving him, but he’d figure it out. He was the judge, after all. 

 

\-------

 

It had been a few days since you’d stolen Sans’ clothes. You were surprised he hadn’t taken them back yet, but they were really comfortable, so you were glad. But, the real problem was… 

 

You were crushing on him. Hard. 

 

Perhaps it might have been the fact you’d spent more than three weeks with just him to talk to, or how he’d opened up to you, or the way he made you smile with his bad puns, but you could no longer deny it - you really liked him. 

 

And he liked you back… you think? A drunken kiss wasn’t much to go on, and you were pretty sure that he did see you as a pest who happened to time-travel most of the time, but perhaps he had some feelings for you? At least subconsciously?

 

When you weren’t thinking deeply about whether or not he liked you, which took into consideration how yesterday he brushed his fingers on your knee (even though it may have been an accident,) you were thinking about  _ why  _ you liked him. He was extremely rough around the edges, had  _ kidnapped  _ you, he was rude, lazy, and loved his alcohol a bit too much, and literally tried to kill you. 

 

But… inside, he really did care, especially about Papyrus, and perhaps you as well - after all, he had taken very good care of you since day one, even though he had no reason to. He was smart, bright, funny, and although he lived in a cruel world, he wasn’t truly sadistic, like so many others you’d seen. And he  _ was  _ pretty cute. Especially when he pretended not to be flustered when you casually flirted with him.

 

You buried your head into your pillow. You’d been thinking the same thoughts for days, yet you weren’t getting anywhere. Perhaps if you found out that he didn’t return your feelings, you could get over it.

 

But if you found out if he liked you back…?

 

“Hey sweetheart, I’ve got dinner,” Sans said as he popped into your room. You weren’t even surprised anymore every time he teleported into your room. You didn’t move from your spot, just giving a non-committal grunt. “I might not be the expert here - after all, you’re the human here - but I don’t think burying your face into pillows is going to help you eat.” You gave a half-hearted chuckle, then sat up and grabbed the plate from Sans. It was a slice of pie, with meat and mushrooms. 

 

“Thanks,” you said wearily, and started to eat.

 

“Are you alright?” Sans asked with genuine concern, sitting down next to you.

 

“M’fine,” you replied with your mouth full, then swallowed. “Anything new?” Sans gave you a look which told you he didn’t believe you, but answered your question anyway.

 

“The Royal Guard has officially given up on the search for you. Nobody has any clue where you’ve gone - except for me, of course - and even the best canine monsters can’t track down your scent.”

 

“Nice to know that you’ve performed the perfect kidnapping.”

 

“Hey, I’ve taken good care of you, haven’t I?” 

 

“Yeah, you really have.”

 

“And, well, I’ve come to really like you, sweetheart.” You paused in your eating, trying to see if he was admitting that he had feelings for you.

 

“Is… this a confession?” you said, trying to make it sound like a joke, though butterflies had exploded in your stomach. 

 

“What?” You noticed your question had caught Sans really off-guard. His eyes were wide, and a bright red blush spread over his face so quickly it looked like a light bulb was just switched on. “Don’t take it the wrong way,” he said with a chuckle, a bit uneasy, “I did think you were a nuisance at first. But now I see you’re okay.”

 

“Well thank you,” you replied, smiling. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

 

“Heh,” he chuckled. “Papyrus and I have been trying to patch things up…” Ah, a good ol’ subject change is always the thing to go for when one was uncomfortable. “...but he knows I’m still hiding stuff. He’s getting really frustrated, and I don’t know what to do.”

 

“Why don’t you just tell him everything?” you suggested. “About me, about the whole time-travelling thing, and why you’ve kept me here. It would make things a lot easier for the both of us.”

 

“That’s… actually not a bad idea,” he admitted. “I did think of that, but I didn’t think he would believe me. And then our relationship would be ruined. But since things are heading down that way anyway…” He sighed. “I’ve never been good at this kind of stuff. I’m better with quantum physics and killing monsters who try to mess with my bro, not trying to be… I dunno. A better person? But I suppose that’s why things ended up this way in the first place, and why Papyrus lost respect for me.”

 

“But now you have the chance to fix things, so take it!” Your smile faltered. “It’s great to have people in your life, to not be lonely. So… if you can fix your relationship with Papyrus… fix it.” You suddenly thought of your own life, and the people you had lost. You felt melancholic. You looked away from Sans, trying not to get dragged into that line of thought, and failing.

 

“Hey,” Sans said softly, seeing your sudden sadness. He took your hand gently. “It’s gonna be alright, okay? Whatever it is, you can tell me.” You sighed.

 

“You wanna know how I came down here in the first place?” You didn’t wait for an answer. “Over the past decade, several people have climbed this mountain, and then disappeared. Nobody knew what happened to them.” You paused. “I wanted to disappear as well. I was going nowhere with my life - my family no longer wanted me, I had no friends, and I had a dead-end job. So… I decided to just disappear. And I climbed the mountain.” You met his eyes. “And here I am.” 

 

“Here you are,” Sans echoed. “Wow, sweetheart, that’s- I mean, wow. I never thought you had it so rough.”

 

“Yeah,” you said, then was taken by surprise when Sans hugged you.

 

“I’m gonna tell Papyrus,” he assured you, “and we’re all gonna live as one big happy family together, and if anyone tries to mess with us, they better be afraid of what comes next. I swear, I’m gonna make things right.”

 

“Thank you,” you whispered, just as tears started to roll down your face. Sans held you as your body trembled with sobs. You hadn’t thought about your life on the surface since you fell down - you were so caught up in the adventure - and now all those repressed feelings were leaking out of you like a punctured dam. 

 

You didn’t know how much time passed. Your crying had petered off, but you still held each other. You felt your eyelids begin to feel very heavy with sleep, but they snapped awake again when you heard a light snore. Upon realising it had come from Sans, you giggled very quietly. You laid back on the bed, holding Sans to your chest, then wrestled the duvet on top of both of you. It was not long after that you drifted off into a peaceful, and restful sleep.

 

The next morning felt very familiar as you woke up for the second time that week with a weight on your chest. You didn’t have to look to know there was a small skeleton sleeping soundly on top of you. You smiled, allowing yourself to feel warm and fuzzy, and comforted by his presence, as you normally did around him. You wrapped your arms around him and brought him closer, nuzzling the top of his skull. You wondered if he wanted to do the same thing. You probably shouldn’t be taking advantage of this, but you couldn’t help yourself. You closed your eyes, and saw your SAVE FILE. You looked at the buttons available - only SAVE - and decided it was time. 

 

You should SAVE. 

 

You didn’t want the time you spent with him to be lost, and you didn’t want to keep wasting your time trying to find a way out. You were content on settling down here. 

 

And you really had found a good friend in Sans…

 

You chuckled. The Underground seemed a lot crueler than the surface, yet life treated you better down here than there. 

 

“Sm’ing funneh?” Sans mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. 

 

“No, nothing really,” you replied, “I was just thinking.”

 

“Too early to think,” he grumbled back. 

 

“Yeah,” you agreed with a chuckle. He drifted back to sleep after a few more minutes. You looked at him, then at your SAVE FILE, and with a surge of determination, you saved.

 

_ Seeing the skeleton you may (or may not, you say to yourself) have a crush on looking so peaceful makes you want to protect your friendship. You are filled with determination. _

 

And with that, you fell asleep happily.

 

When you woke up again, he was gone. But you knew what he had gone to do almost immediately, when you heard shouting from the main house.

 

“YOU’VE BEEN HIDING THE HUMAN HERE?” Papyrus screamed so loudly that you had to cover your ears. You winced, hoping that none of the neighbours heard him. There was a pause, and you assumed Sans was saying something you couldn’t hear. “I DON’T CARE IF YOU HAD GOOD REASON, THIS IS TRE-”

 

“PAPYRUS!” Sans suddenly shouted, making you start. You’d never heard him raise his voice at all before, so it was very surprising. He usually spoke so casually, you’d somehow started imagining his words being spoken entirely in lowercase. You stumbled out of bed and padded over the wall, hoping you might get to hear more. You could only catch wind of some hushed whispers, with no discernable words. You slid down and sat on the floor. You couldn’t help but worry. If any of the neighbours had heard what Papyrus said...

 

You weren’t sure how long you’d sat on the floor for, but when the door opened to reveal Sans and Papyrus standing together, you scrambled to your feet immediately.

 

“Human,” Papyrus greeted, though he wasn’t happy. “My brother has told me… a lot. Is it true that you can time travel?”

 

“To a certain degree, yes,” you answered, slightly uneasily. Upon meeting his eyes, you realised he wanted you to explain what you could do. “I can save at certain points in time, and when I die, I can go back to those points. I can also take the timeline back to when I first fell underground.”

 

“Interesting,” Papyrus mumbled. “I won’t pretend that I understand how this could possibly work, but I do understand that there is no point in taking you to Asgore to be killed. So, human, I will invite you to become a formal part of our household. You will stay in this room, and you will help do chores around the house, but you can’t go out for obvious reasons.” He sighed, then turned to Sans. “I can’t say I am happy with this development, but I am glad that you finally told me everything, Sans.”

 

“Yeah, me too,” Sans replied earnestly.

 

“Awww, this is so cute!” you squealed.

 

“We’re not cute!” Papyrus and Sans barked at you in unison, making you cackle with laughter.

 

You weren’t too sure what to make of the next week. You helped around the house, but you felt that you had to keep your head down otherwise Papyrus would be unhappy with you, for one reason or another. You’d taken to reading and watching TV by day and hanging out with Sans in the evening when he got back from work - anything to avoid Papyrus. You knew he didn’t like you, as you were the reason that Sans had kept such a big secret from him. It was an uncomfortable living situation, but at least you could shower, and have clean clothes to wear. 

 

And your relationship with Sans… your flirting had escalated to a point where you were almost certain that he returned your feelings, but you felt that Sans was far too shy to make the first move. Unfortunately, you were also shy. Whenever you thought of saying something, your heart immediately started beating faster and butterflies zipped around your stomach, making you feel like you were about to throw up. 

 

_ Welp. I guess Sans doesn’t have butterflies in his non-existent stomach. _

 

It was really pathetic, when you thought about it.

 

One evening, you and Sans were finishing watching a movie on TV, casually leaning against each other. 

 

“Well, sweetheart, I’m bushed. Watching TV can really take a lot out of ‘ya,” he said, getting up.

 

“Alright, goodnight,” you replied with a chuckle.

 

“Hope you have dreams as sweet as your ass.”

 

“Then I guess I’ll see you in them.” Sans let out an amused chuckle, before taking one of his ‘shortcuts’ to his room. You rested your face in your hand, letting a dreamy expression take over your face. If only…

 

“Human.” You sprang upright, whipping your head to see where the voice came from. You saw Papyrus in the dark doorway, being eerily lit up by the glow of the TV. You shivered.

 

_ Just add a knife and I’ll be running up to Sans so fast…  _

 

“You really like him, don’t you?” Papyrus asked in a quiet voice, surprising you.

 

“How… how do you know?” you replied, unable to think of anything else to say.

 

“Overt flirting is a great way to ask someone out on a date without actually asking them out.” You snorted. Even though he phrased it oddly, like he was reading out of a psychology textbook, you had to agree with his logic. 

 

Papyrus walked over to the sofa, and then sat down carefully, as if he was trying not to disturb the springs in the cushions. Though, as it seemed more likely, he was trying not to scare you - for some reason.

 

“Human, I believe we got off on the wrong foot,” Papyrus started. You watched him with interest, wanting to see what he said next. “I must admit I did not like you when we first met -  _ before  _ your disappearance, as you were far too… kind… which caused me to handle the news of your stay poorly. Especially since Sans’ behaviour had gotten worse since your arrival. He was slacking off more than usual, and often left his post early! Though now I know why… he wanted to spend time with you.” Your face heated up a bit. Did he really like you that much? “You should really act on your feelings.”

 

“Do you really think he’ll… accept them?” you said, your face heating up. 

 

“I am one-hundred percent sure he will,” Papyrus confirmed, “and I swear, if you two don’t do something about your feelings which are far too obvious, I will take it upon myself to ensure that your relationship goes forward.”

 

“How would you do that?” you asked disbelievingly. 

 

“My plans are always one-hundred-percent effective,” he replied mysteriously. 

 

“Well. I guess… I can try tomorrow.”

 

“If you put it off, you’re going to lose your nerve.” He jumped up off of the couch and then pulled you to your feet. “You have to tell him right now!”

 

“But he just went to bed! He’s probably snoring away!”

 

“No, he always stays up doing God only knows what before going to sleep.” He started pushing you towards the steps. “Now go!” You realised that there was probably no way he was going to let you out of it, and that you were going to have to man (lady?) up and just do it.

 

You sucked in a deep breath. You could do this. 

 

“Okay, I can do it. I can do it,” you told yourself to hype yourself up, before running up the stairs. Behind you, you heard Papyrus let out a hearty, encouraging ‘nyah,’ making you smile. You hesitated at Sans’ door, but before you could wuss-out, you knocked on his door. You waited with bated breath, your heart pounding in your ears, as you heard Sans moving to the door.

 

“Papy- oh, hey sweetheart,” he greeted, slightly confused. “I thought you were gonna see me in your dreams.”

 

“Sans, I need to tell you something,” you said, your voice not shaking to your surprise.

 

“Oh, sure,” he replied. “Uh, come in, I guess.” You entered his room, which was slightly tidier and cleaner than it was the last time you saw it, much to your surprise. 

 

“So, uh… fuck it, I’m just gonna come out and say it,” you said, feeling a rush of determination. You knew going the forward approach would be best for Sans in any case. “I like you. A lot. And as more than a friend. So, go out with me?” Sans blinked, clearly not expecting you to say anything like what you just did. After a few tense moments, he let out a huge sigh of… relief?

 

“Thank  _ fuck _ you made the first move,” he exclaimed, and you had to laugh. You were fully aware that Sans could get easily flustered, despite how much he tried to cover it up, so you knew that probably would have never made the first move, unless he was really pushed to (more forcefully than you were.) 

 

“Yeah, I kinda knew, but I still hadn’t had the courage to tell you I felt the same way until now,” you told him.

 

“I don’t suppose Papyrus by any chance had anything to do with it?”

 

“In fact, he did. How’d you guess?”

 

“You’re not the only one he’s talked to about this. He was also trying to get me to confess but, well, ya’know what I’m like.” You laughed. You did indeed know. “Anyway, to answer your question, of course I’ll go out with you, though I’m not sure how we’ll do the ‘going out’ bit, since, y’know, humans are wanted and all that.”

 

“We can worry about that later.” You stepped towards him and wrapped your arms around his neck. He put his hands on your waist and then leant in to kiss you - well, kiss you as much as he could without lips.

 

“Hey, it feels like I’ve done this before,” Sans said, pulling back a little.

 

“Wait, you remember?” 

 

“Not sure what you’re talking about, but your lovely lips do seem familiar.” He chuckled. “Ah, it doesn’t really matter, since now I can kiss ‘ya all I like.” To demonstrate, he kissed you again. You sighed in content, returning the kiss.

 

Things really were looking up for you.

 

_ Knowing that your life has become much happier, with a boyfriend who really cares for you and a blossoming friendship with his brother, fills you with determination _ .

**Author's Note:**

> So, I aimed with this story to a) not just be another 'meet and fuck' story (not that I don't like those, just I want something different every now and again, y'know?) b) for the reader portrayed here to be as relateable as possible c) to have a little a bit of character/story development, especially with Sans' and Papyrus' relationship, because I don't like how they're portrayed in 'canon' (I put it in quotation marks because underfell interpretation seems to vary a little, and there isn't really a canon.)
> 
> Please don't forget to leave a kudos if you liked the story, and if you have the time, leave me a comment! I'd love to know what you think! (And I'm not afraid of constructive criticism)


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